Front windows sticking after snow and ice storm

[jimmythefrack]

Yesterday NJ received snow and ice. Right after the storm I was able to heat the car and then open the front door without issue. This morning after an overnight freeze the driver's window didn't move down the way it normally would and the door didn't open very well at all. After using a small pvc card to try and loosen the window I was able to get the door to open. My question is how are people preventing the windows from literally freezing up? I know people have all kinds of ways to try and prevent frameless doors from sticking. From what I can find the most popular solutions seem to be:

1. Gummi Pflege Stick
2. Putting painters tape along where the trim and the window meet before a storm.
3. Using some kind of silicone along the base of the window to prevent sticking
4. Using some kind of a de-icing spray
5. A rubbing alcohol and water mixture 2 parts alcohol 1 part water in a spray bottle.

While any of these seem like they're work I'm a little worried about the paint and the window seals treating them with alcohol doesn't seem like the best idea and the others seem like kind of a crap shoot. Does anyone have a better suggestion or something they've tried?

 

[Bangor Bob]

Fix the (%*%&$ design so the windows don't need to dip to clear the trim?.

 

[Andyw2100]

Fix the (%*%&$ design so the windows don't need to dip to clear the trim?.

How is that comment helpful to the OP? If you want to express that sentiment, there are plenty of threads to do that in.

 

[Andyw2100]

Does anyone have a better suggestion or something they've tried?

While this has not been an issue for me, I have read that preheating the car, and using that heat to melt the ice freezing windows closed, works for a lot of people.

 

[jimmythefrack]

UPDATE: I called the Service Center in Springfield, NJ and they had 2 suggestions.
1. Turn the heat all the way up and heat the car for 1 or 2 cycles to try and melt the ice before trying to open the car. I did heat the car before I left this morning but maybe I didn't do it for long enough?
2. I could purchase a frost cover from and aftermarket reseller and cover the windows on the sides as well as the windshield. (This second option doesn't really seem like a good one. I don't really want to tie anything to the car)

 

[llavalle]

This is a huge problem will all cars that don't have a window frame and roll down the window when you open the door. Most Porsches have the exact same problem but I guess most owners don't drive them as frequently in winter. The Subaru BRZ/Scion FRS/Toyota 86 has the same problem.

 

[dropd]

Yesterday NJ received snow and ice. Right after the storm I was able to heat the car and then open the front door without issue. This morning after an overnight freeze the driver's window didn't move down the way it normally would and the door didn't open very well at all. After using a small pvc card to try and loosen the window I was able to get the door to open. My question is how are people preventing the windows from literally freezing up? I know people have all kinds of ways to try and prevent frameless doors from sticking. From what I can find the most popular solutions seem to be:

1. Gummi Pflege Stick
2. Putting painters tape along where the trim and the window meet before a storm.
3. Using some kind of silicone along the base of the window to prevent sticking
4. Using some kind of a de-icing spray
5. A rubbing alcohol and water mixture 2 parts alcohol 1 part water in a spray bottle.

While any of these seem like they're work I'm a little worried about the paint and the window seals treating them with alcohol doesn't seem like the best idea and the others seem like kind of a crap shoot. Does anyone have a better suggestion or something they've tried?

Thanks for the suggestions.

This happened to our MX last night. It had snowed in the morning, the sun then shone all afternoon, presumably melting some snow into the gaps in the window seal. It got cold at night (down into the upper teens), so that when we tried to drive the car that night, the doors opened but wouldn't properly close because the windows would not go down.

The only thing that worked for us was patience and running the heat full blast for 10+ minutes until the windows un-froze. It was somewhat distressing.

 

[K-MTG]

I don't know what you are talking about, I am in SoCal and I think 60 degrees is cold